Sunday, April 26, 2015

As the World Cup season wraps up, there is little time for skiers to rest before it is time to turn their focus to the preparations for the next one. With the busy race schedule behind them, spring is often the time to focus on working on the fine details of their techniques and ensure they will be ready to face next season in top shape, possibly able to carve as many perfect turns in a row as possible.

But what is a perfect turn? How does it feel and how do you achieve it?

Hear it from World and Olympic champion Ted Ligety in the video below.

Thirty Seconds to Mars are set to play on 2nd May 2015 at the legendary Top of the Mountain Concert in Ischgl, at 2300 metres altitude, right in the centre of the ski area. Entry is free when you have a valid ski pass.
At 2300 metres altitude the band from Los Angeles will be playing songs from their latest album 'Love, Lust, Faith + Dreams'. At 1 p.m. winter sports fans will be able to watch the band perform hits like 'City of Angels' through the Silvretta Arena. At the open-air concert in the middle of the ski area, brothers Jared and Shannon Leto along with guitarist Tomo Miličević, will follow in the footsteps of greats - world stars like Robbie Williams, Elton John, Katy Perry and Rihanna have preceded them on the Top of the Mountain stage. Entry is free when you have a valid ski pass. A day ticket is available for 85 Euro per person. For 4 days and over, standard, discounted ski pass tariffs apply.

Thirty Seconds to Mars is already familiar for a few things – they are in the Guinness Book of Records for the longest concert tour ever. Yet, an open-air concert at 2300 metres is also something new for these experienced musicians. In Ischgl they will present their fourth studio album 'Love Lust Faith + Dreams' - which reached number 3 in the German album charts – on the legendary Idalp stage. In November 2014 the American trio received their third MTV Europe Music Award for 'Best Alternative' act.
Thirty Seconds to Mars took a break from touring in 2012 and spent most of the year recording their fourth album, entitled Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams. The album was produced by Jared Leto with previous collaborator Steve Lillywhite. Leto said that the band took a new direction with Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams. He explained that the album "is more than an evolution, it's a brand new beginning. Creatively, we've gone to an entirely new place, which is exciting, unexpected, and incredibly inspiring".

The legendary Ischgl Top of the Mountain Concert is to provide spectators with world-class entertainment surrounded by ideal winter sport facilities. Skiers are to be transported this year by the new Pardatschgrat tricable gondola lift directly from the centre of the resort to the ski area in next to no time. Freeriders can meanwhile go on the hunt for new lines under the Piz Val Gronda cable car. The area was only opened in winter 2013/2014. The evening will be a time to put the skis down and celebrate the start of the season with a world-famous star.

Thirty Seconds to Mars follows in the footsteps of a galaxy of superstars who have entertained skiers and boarders in the Austrian resort's traditional Top of the Mountain gig. Long time ago, Ischgl decided to put its entire advertising and marketing budget into staging two massive concerts a year to open and close the winter season. Elton John was the first star to feature in the Tirolean resort's now famous season closing concerts, back in 1995. Since then the resort has hosted Rod Stewart, Bob Dylan, Sting, Tina Turner, Diana Ross, Bon Jovi, Enrique Iglesias, Atomic Kitten, Peter Gabriel, The Corrs, Alanis Morissette, Lionel Richie, Pink, the Scissor Sisters, the Pussycat Dolls, Rihanna, Elton John again, Gabriella Cilmi, Leona Lewis, Kylie Minogue, Katy Perry, Alicia Keys, Gossip, The Killers,Roxette, Mariah Carey, The Scorpions, Deep Purple, Nickelback, Robbie Williams and James Blunt.

Ischgl (1377m) is a truly Ski Paradise in Tirol (Austria) with 238 km of prepared pistes, 43 lifts and lots of interesting new features in the ski resort. The modern lifts managed by the Silvretta Seilbahn AG Company offer a high level of comfort and countless extras, such as heated seats in the Fimbabahn cable car built for the 2007/08 season. A variety of slopes and ski routes offer a opportunity for everyone, from beginners to experts looking for challenging pistes. Eleven is the name of the longest piste with approximately 11 kilometres from the top of the ski resort in Greitspitz (2,872 metres) to Ischgl village (1,400 metres).
From Ischgl you can access to the Silvretta Arena Ski Paradise, thanks to an alliance between two Companies (Silvretta Seilbahn AG and Bergbahnen Sammaun AG) and two ski resorts (Ischgl-Sammaun) from two different countries (Switzerland-Austria).

Saturday, April 25, 2015

Here in the Alps we're all bummed because our resorts are closing down - waaaaaa!!! This year's drought in California has taken such a heavy toll that some skiers will do anything to get a few turns in.
Fearless rock skiers brave the treacherous jutting rocks of drought ridden California mountains illustrating the effects of climate change on our once snow capped peaks.
California’s water supply is nearly 30% snow runoff. No snow, no water.
check out Protect Our Winters protectourwinters.org

Friday, April 17, 2015

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach today announced that the IOC will launch a free, online education service aimed specifically at Olympians, other elite athletes and their coaches.The new service, called "The IOC Athlete Learning Gateway", will go live on 28 May during the 7th IOC Athlete Career Programme Forum in Lima, Peru.For over a year, more than 4,000 athletes and coaches from around the world have been helping the IOC test and develop the pilot version of the experimental "MOOC" (massive open online courses). Leading academics, sports institutes, sports leaders and Olympians have contributed content for the programme, including courses and live online seminars.President Bach said: "The long-term interests of athletes are a priority for the IOC. Through Olympic Agenda 2020, the IOC has a unique opportunity to act as a bridge between busy athletes and the world’s best academics and learning tools. The IOC Athlete Learning Gateway will allow athletes to shape their futures while still pursuing their athletic careers".Recommendation 18 of Olympic Agenda 2020, the IOC’s strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement, calls for support to athletes to be strengthened. This includes the development of athlete career programmes with all the relevant stakeholders and increasing engagement with athletes on important topics related to their careers on and off the field of play."This is just one of many important new initiatives being driven by the Olympic Agenda 2020 reforms, which will strengthen and improve support for the athletes,” said IOC Athletes’ Commission Chair and Athens 2004 silver medallist Claudia Bokel. “This inspiring free electronic platform will give athletes, wherever they may be in the world and at whatever stage of their athletic career, access to educational material produced by leading academics and athletes. This is an important step forward for the welfare of athletes".IOC Entourage Commission Chair and Seoul 1988 gold medallist Sergey Bubka said: "The life of an athlete is extremely busy: they are constantly on the road; they spend a lot of time training. It is very difficult to find the time to study, to properly prepare for life after sport. But thanks to the many changes brought about by Olympic Agenda 2020, athletes will continue to be given more and more opportunities like the IOC Athlete Learning Gateway. This online tool gives athletes the means to successfully combine sport and education for brighter futures".

The pilot programme for the IOC Athlete Learning Gateway was evaluated by the IOC’s Athletes’ Commission, Entourage Commission and a dedicated independent Academic Advisory Board. The IOC President agreed with their recommendation to establish the full service as part of Olympic Agenda 2020.

Thursday, April 9, 2015

From April 10th to 11th the legendary Allalin Races will take place in Saas-Fee, Switzerland. Around 1000 participants are expected at the amateur downhill race. The track descends over a length of 9 kilometers and overcomes an altitude difference of 1800 meters – no wonder your legs start burning! The Allalin Races in Saas-Fee belong to the 3 most popular amateur downhill races in Switzerland. The “Super Vier” amateur downhill series consists of the four races Belalp-Hexe, the Inferno Mürren, and the Allalin Races Saas-Fee. Every year the overall masters of the whole series will be announced. The award ceremony and the presentation of the much-coveted cup always take place at the Allalin Races in Saas-Fee as it is the last one of the series.For over 30 years the Allalin Races and the famous afterparties attract ambitious amateur racers as well as wintersports fans who join the competition just for fun. Surrounded by the highest mountains in Switzerland the race starts on an altitude of 3600 meters above sea level and aims the village on only 1800 meters.The challenging downhill race was mastered for the first time in 1946. Back than the participants had to hike up to the mountain hut on Längfluh, only to get up the next morning and hike further to the top of the Allalinhorn on 4027 meters. The following race down didn’t happen on perfectly prepared slopes like nowadays. No, they had to pass the dangerous crevasses while getting through powder snow.Participants can enter four different categories: the Team Race, the Fun Team Race, the Him and Her Race, and the individual men’s or women’s races. Men and women in the individual races usually intent to aim the best time. The participants in the Fun Team Race descend just for fun at a leisurely pace. A pit-stop at a mountain restaurant along the way is almost mandatory and dressing up is actively encouraged. Apparently, in the past a team has even plonked themselves down in the snow for a quick cheese fondue. It’s no wonder, then, that teams in this category have been known to take over five hours to “race” down to the finish line. By contrast, an ambitious, highly trained athlete can complete the course in less than five minutes!

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Cham'Lines is back with another episode exploring the best steep skiing lines around Chamonix. Today, 2x Freeride World Skiing Champion Aurélien Ducroz, Verbier Xtreme winner Giullia Monego and big mountain baller Brice Bouillane charge the hellacious 500-meter, 55˚ southwest couloir of the Col du Diable. The snow is as hard as concrete and even though the skiers wait, it fails to soften and they must ski the crazy steep couloir in what Aurélien subtly describes as 'difficult' conditions. The massive smiles on their faces at the end of the video reveal how stoked they are to have sent this impressive line in style.

Saturday, April 4, 2015

These skiers just found the best way to prepare for a five-day backcountry ski tour from Chamonix to Zermatt - by skiing untracked pow in Lombardia, Italy. Adrien Coirier and Jérémy Prévost live to charge big lines but they are more accustomed to heli drops than slapping on the climbing skins and earning their turns. So in preparation of their upcoming Haute Route trip they head to a typical rifugio (mountain hut) in Lombardia to meet local mountain guide, Giuliano, who welcomes them with legendary Italian hospitality, teaches them the joy of skinning up, and turns them on to some amazing skiing.

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

The Swatch Freeride World Tour By The North Face (FWT) is the premier big mountain freeskiing and snowboarding tour in the world, featuring the sport’s top athletes competing in the world’s best mountain resorts. Created in 2008, the FWT became even more global in 2012 following the union of North American-based Freeskiing World Tour, The North Face Masters of Snowboarding, and the European-based Swatch Freeride World Tour. Besides the successful implementation of this truly global FWT, the increase of Freeride World Qualifier (FWQ) and Junior Freeride Tour events in recent years shows that the base of the sport is growing exponentially.The FWT represents top-level big mountain riding, the most progressive and pure discipline of skiing and snowboarding. Riders use the entire mountain as their canvas, from cliffs, cornices and chutes to powder fields and trees. FWT events have invitation-only athlete rosters but the full FWQ series allows athletes to compete in 1 to 4-star level events and qualify for the FWT the following season. All FWT competition venues are handpicked for their terrain, as well as their steepness, and offer a wide range of options to those competing.

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Personal Details

Raul Revuelta is an internationally recognized public speaker, author, professor and tourism consultant.
"I hold a Doctorate in Geography and History from Madrid’s Complutense University together with a Master in Human Resources, specialized in Quality Management. In recent years my career and teaching and research work has centered around two areas: on the one hand, the integration of the principles of quality and sustainability in tourism, and on the other, sports and adventure tourism, with a special focus on the management of ski and mountain resorts.
I spend my spare time enjoying mountains and nature in general, but my biggest passion by far is skiing".